Project Management Office (PMO) - Analyst

UNOPS South East Asia and Pacific Multi Country Office (EAPMCO):

The South East Asia and Pacific Multi Country Office (EAPMCO) supports, develops and oversees the UNOPS portfolio of projects in South East Asia and the Pacific. EAPMCO was established in January 2023 following the merger of the Thailand Multi-Country Office, which covered 20 countries across  North East Asia, South East Asia and the Pacific, and the Cambodia Multi-Country Office, which covered 4 countries South East Asia - 3 countries in the Mekong Sub-region (Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam) and the Philippines.  EAPMCO currently covers 24 countries across North East Asia, South East Asia and the Pacific. With its head office in Bangkok, the Multi-Country Office comprises nine business units: EAPMCO Thailand, EAPMCO Indonesia,  EAPMCO Pacific Operations Cluster, EAPMCO Papua New Guinea, EAPMCO China, EAPMCO Vietnam, EAPMCO Lao PDR, EAPMCO Philippines and EAPMCO Cambodia.

In 2022, the UNOPS EAPMCO implemented projects worth more than USD 95.7 million, in the areas of Energy Transition, Digital Transformations, Sustainable Environmental Management, Climate Change, Waste Management, Rule of Law and Access to Justice, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Post Conflict Reintegration, Emergency Relief, Post COVID19 Economic Transformations, and Health, through HR, procurement, construction, contract management, fund and program management services.  

The Multi Country Office head office in Bangkok provides strategic direction, operational support, delivery oversight and assurance of the excellence of business processes and quality standards across all of the entire Multi Country Office locations. It is also responsible for developing, delivering and managing the portfolio of engagements in the country of the MCO location itself. 

The Project Management Office (PMO) is a section under the Programme unit and its main role is to provide EAPMCO with the structures, tools and techniques needed to ensure that EAPMCO has the right programmes and projects in place, that operational and change priorities are balanced, the programme/project governance and decision making is facilitated and it has the resources and capability to deliver them consistently well.  

The functions and services of the PMO include:

• Strategic Planning/Portfolio Support: Ensuring UNOPS is focused on doing the right projects by supporting management decision-making.

• Delivery Support: Ensuring UNOPS is doing projects the right way, through the effective delivery of the programme and projects. 

• Best Practices: Applying UNOPS standards in project management, encouraging consistent working practices and ensuring appropriate application. 

EAPMCO is thus looking for a PMO Analyst to support the PMO Specialist and the Head of Programme(HoP) in ensuring that project management policies, processes and methods are followed and practiced within the EAPMCO portfolio. The incumbent actively contributes to moving the EAPMCO toward achieving its 2022-2025 Strategic objectives.

1. Development and planning 

2. Set-up and closure

3. Monitoring and reporting

4. Stakeholder engagement

5. Quality assurance

6. Knowledge management and innovation 

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision and general guidance of the PMO Specialist, the PMO Analyst is responsible and accountable for the following:

• Support the PMO Specialist and HoP in providing appropriate levels of programmatic management regarding all ongoing project activities, while maintaining and implementing appropriate standards and best practices in line with UNOPS policies and procedures.

• Assist in the strategic monitoring, and oversight on programme and project management activities in line with service agreements and project documents. 

• In consultation with relevant stakeholders, assist the  development, implementation and, as and when appropriate, amendments, of project budgets.

• Contribute to the development of tools complementary to UNOPS' online tools, to ensure effective planning, forecasting and tracking of delivery across the EAPMCO.

• Identify, and anticipate in a timely manner, potential risks and issues and advise mitigating measures to the PMO Specialist and Head of Programme.

• Facilitate the development of high-level programme/project plans, including the collation of lower-level plans into programme/project-level milestones.

• In consultation with relevant stakeholders, assist the  development, and when appropriate, amendments, of project agreements, and other related engagement documents. 

• Act as Engagement Closure Manager for assigned portfolio and ensure that projects that come on an end are closed in a timely manner and reflect correct closure status in oneUNOPS. Liaise closely and support in all  assets and finance related issues.

• Provide routine oversight and analysis of delivery data within the dashboard system, using UNOPS ERP system as required.

• Assist in the further development of Performance tracking tools, dashboards, graphs and visualisations. 

• Identify and anticipates in a timely manner, potential risks and issues specific to delivery forecasts, and advises mitigating measures to the PMO Specialist.

• Support the preparation of  necessary project analysis reports and information to support decision making areas relevant to the project management team. 

• Track the reporting obligations of all projects within EAPMCO and whenever required assist PMs in producing reports in line with donor reporting requirements.

• Regularly review project status, evaluating performance criteria (scope, cost, schedule and quality).

• Provide editorial support to programmes and projects, ensuring effective and timely dissemination of reports, in line with project documentation and clients' expectations.

• Perform routine and effective monitoring and evaluation of programme and project activities, in line with logical frameworks.

• Track, and monitor the implementation of requests or initiatives relevant to project management from the Regional Office, IPAS, and HQ Teams, as required.

• Coordinate stakeholder engagement and communication, ensuring effective timing and interdependency management of communications across programmes and projects.

• Coordinate and monitor the effectiveness of  internal and external programme/project communications.

• Responsible for conducting monthly and quarterly assurance activities for assigned project categories.  

• Coordinate quality reviews of programme/project documents and deliverables.

• Ensure compliance with UNOPS defined standards for programme/project management.

• In consultation with  the PMO Specialist, collaborate with the Support Service Unit  to identify, streamline and improve operational processes relevant to project implementation.

• Work closely with relevant stakeholders to ensure the MCO implements audit recommendations as well as comply with audit requirements.

• Support continuous improvement of project management practices and processes with the MCO

• Contribute in organising routine and effective capacity building activities in order to build the long-term and sustainable capacity of EAPMCO.

• Own various tasks as outlined and assigned in the PMO annual work plan and other related tasks as assigned, ensuring timely delivery of activities and report on progress against the work plan. 

• Contribute to the oversight of lessons learned procedures, ensuring that lessons learnt are shared in a timely and appropriate manner.

• Actively interact with PMs and the wider PM community to share case studies, lessons learned and best practices in the Knowledge System. 

Impact of Results

The incumbent directly impacts on achievement of project results by assisting the PMO Specialist and Head of Programme to implement effective project management methods and strategies, reduce risks, cut costs and improve success rates.  This consequently reinforces the visibility and image of the UNOPS as an effective service provider in project services and management and strengthens its competitive position as a partner of choice in sustainable development and project services.

Education:

• First University degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in Project Management, International Relations/Development,  Business Administration, Risk Management, Engineering, or other relevant discipline is required

• An Advanced University degree (Master’s or equivalent) in the above mentioned field is preferred;

Certification:

• PRINCE2 Foundation Certification is is considered an asset.

• PRINCE2 Practitioner Certification is considered an asset.

Experience:

• Minimum  two (2) years of relevant and progressive professional experience, specifically in the field of Project Management with experience of successful implementation and/or oversight of programmes and projects in combination with the first university degree is required.

• Previous experience of working within a PMO environment or handling PMO functions related functions is required.

• Detailed knowledge of UNOPS’ project management tools, UNOPS financial and procurement rules and regulations, and financial management tools is an asset

• Strong experience with data analysis, management reporting and project management tools, and information management systems is an a strong asset

• Experience in project assurance is an advantage

• Experience in infrastructure projects is an asset 

• Experience in procurement projects is an asset

Language:

• Full working knowledge of English is essential. 

• Fluency in one or more additional official UN languages is an advantage.

• Contract type: International ICA
• Contract level: ICS 8 / IICA 1
• Contract duration: Ongoing ICA – ‘Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.’

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.